An adult autistic self-advocacy organization?

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One thing we need to keep in mind: Accommodating a variety of different kinds of autistic people in a single in-person group meeting is going to be very difficult. In the long run, we are going to need multiple in-person groups per locale, or perhaps one group with a variety of differently-structured meetings aiming to accommodate different kinds of autistic people.

It won't be possible to accommodate everyone at the beginning, but there should be an aim of accommodating more and more kinds of autistic people at different kinds of meetings as the group grows.

Besides the different "levels" of autism, there are incompatibilities of attention issues. As I see it, autistic people commonly have one or more of the following three kinds of attention-focus issues, with different resulting needs regarding in-person social interaction:

1) Co-occurring ADHD. Results in a strong preference for spontaneity, with lots of free-wheeling tangential conversation.

2) What, for lack of a better term, I will call "reverse ADHD." Little or no difficulty concentrating, but more-than-normal difficulty with multi-tasking and with shifting one's attention from one topic to another. Results in a strong preference for structured, highly-focused, goal-oriented discussions on pre-announced topics of interest.

3) Difficulty filtering out sensory distractions. In extreme cases this means meetings must take place in a well-sound-proofed rented room, plus there may also need to be an additional small room (e.g. a closet) that people can retreat to when feeling sensory overload. An informal get-together at a diner would not work.

Besides the above three kinds of attention issues, a substantial fraction of autistic people also have extreme sensory sensitivities, requiring not only a well sound-proofed rented room, but also careful attention to the lighting in the room and making sure there are no subtle (to most people) bad odors. (Accommodation of olfactory sensitivities can begin by simply requesting that all attendees wear unscented deorderant and no perfume.)

Yet another major category of autistic people to be accommodated, at least eventually, is extreme introverts, for whose sake color communication badges were invented.

It is difficult if not impossible to accommodate all of the above in one group meeting, especially in the early stages when there are too few regular attendees to justify renting a room of any kind, so the only choice at that point would be meeting at a diner.

For this reason, I think any in-person organizing effort needs to be supplemented with locale-based online forums and chatrooms. It's easier for us all to get along online than in-person, at least when there are good moderators. So, people who aren't adequately accommodated by any of the group's in-person meetings can participate in the group's online chat, with the understanding that there will eventually be in-person meetings for them once the local organization gets big enough.

Currently, as far as I can tell, most already-existing local peer-led autistic adult support groups do NOT aim to accommodate a variety of attention-focus issues, sensory issues, etc. They just do whatever happens to most convenient for the leaders, without even an eventual aim of accommodating a wider variety of autistic people.

On the other hand, the earliest autistic adult organization, Autism Network International, did aim to accommodate extreme introverts and people with extreme sensory sensitivities at its conferences. Subsequent similar conferences like Autscape have followed suit.

As far as snacks, I can speak of reading of four different diets that may be an issue: Ketogenic, GFCF, Tyramine free, and Vegan. I can't seem to come up with anything besides mixed nuts to fit into all four categories. I don't know if you would want to try to make a lengthier list or have another idea on how to do the snacks idea.

Agrees on idea of local groups .. ground up ........

Oakay so here goes , i know new york has some groups ,s kansas city had one..
Breifly . Fell apart ,, inclusion was not a big issue for them.

Shyness can be a issue in one on one , situations . For aspies not usually a part of a group.

Kansas City needs one . Ronald Mc donald house here was hosting prior group

On the snacks: This was not my idea, it was given to me via PM, but a good solution to the conundrum would be to simply have people bring their own snacks if they desire to have one and also to share.

Person whom started the group bailed out . Had administrative skills .
Apparently he had made some aquaintances with a mid twenties female couple , some point . They pretty much dictated interests of the group.
We did provide some autism awareness booths at 2 venues , with offers to hand out free earplugs . Group varied in size and severity of autism .affectations from 6-9 persons . Questions to the group , other than naming yourself . Was not very inclusive . Ignoring people who were not directly connected with three initial people .

Others making suggestions seemed not worthy of consideration .Appeared female couple seemed to dominate , Used google hangouts . And apparently you needed to be active on facebook.

To appear to be included . . Lastly group the 3 had decided needed a name and a logo . Which appeared to be the end . Most of that activity was on facebook . Limitedly on hangouts . Last i ever heard of them . Loss of the original person( whom was more able to be outgoing) pretty much was the end. I was the eldest member of the group .
No snacks , they had tried to arrange meet ups online , which cut down participation alot . Of anyone but the three and people , immediate friends .

Sad recollections ,

1) Some suggestions have been given that a group could, in part, act as a place for autistic adults to learn and practice social behaviors that may not be intuitive but may help them in the world at large and as such, an underlying theme of the group would be one of social learning and behavior.

2) Or.....have a group where the underlying theme of the group is as a haven from the world at large and it's social norms. A group where not only are things like eye contact entirely optional and stimming is accepted, getting up from a conversation and walking away without explanation or excuse is also accepted. Having some sort of group signal that isn't considered offensive to indicate to someone that they are being asked to wrap up a conversation and allow someone else to talk. Free and open communication with the group acting as referee if a conversation or exchange becomes heated or devolves into an argument.

I would favor option 2 with meetings where a limited amount of time (or none) is devoted to option 1 or a specific periodic meeting is devoted to option 1 rather than it being the norm.